Your weekly drinking results

You're reducing your risk of long-term health problems

You're reducing your risk of long-term health problems

55%

You drink MORE than 55% of men your age

This week you've drank the equivalent of 6 doughnuts (not counting any other snacks or mixers!)
13
To burn off the calories that you've drank this week, you'd need to walk for 13 miles
How drinking less could benefit you

Less alcohol = less calories.

It's shocking to see how many calories are hidden in alcohol. Cutting out a drink here and there can really reduce calories and help you lose weight. For every large glass of wine you don't drink, you'll save 235 calories. For every pint, you'll save 180 calories. Avoiding spirits and mixers can save you lots of calories too.

Drinking less gives you more energy.

Drinking too much can make you feel tired, sluggish and generally a bit under the weather. Drink less and it shouldn't take too long before you notice that you have more energy.

Drinking less can help you sleep.

Regular drinking can affect the quality of your sleep, making you feel tired and sluggish. When you drink alcohol before bed you may fall into a deep sleep quicker, but as the night goes on you spend more time in the less restful Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep. This can leave you feeling tired the next day, not matter how long you stay in bed. To help you sleep better, stop drinking earlier before bedtime. This will give your body time to process the alcohol you've drunk. On average it takes two hours to process a glass of wine or pint of beer. For more advice to help you sleep visit www.nhs.uk/livewell/sleep/pages/sleep-home.aspx

Click here to see more benefits of drinking less
Your top tips

Now we know more about how you drink, we'd like to suggest some simple tips that you could try using to drink less. You don't need to do them all. Pick what works best for you and your life.

Dilute your drinks.

A popular way to drink less is to have a wine spritzer using soda water or a shandy instead of a pint (a shandy is beer or lager diluted with lemonade, make sure to ask for low-sugar lemonade). This will not only help you cut back on how much you are drinking, but your calories too! If you aren't keen on diluting your drink then try to reduce the number of drinks you are having on each occasion instead.

Find other ways to relax and ease stress.

Drinking regularly can make you feel down or even lead to feelings of anxiety or depression, which make stress harder to deal with. This is because regular drinking interferes with neurotransmitters in our brains that are needed for good mental health. It's better to find out what's making you feel stressed and look for ways to deal with it. If stress can't be avoided, look for other ways to manage it better. Exercise can help. So can talking things through with someone and making sure you spend time doing things that you enjoy. For more ideas visit the other ways to relax section of our website.

Find a way to relax that you like - that doesn't involve having a drink.

We all need ways to unwind from our busy lives. Drinking alcohol may make you feel relaxed at the time, but can make you feel worse afterwards. Simple activities like exercise, reading, yoga, playing music, cooking something new or making time for a hobby can all help you wind down. Find what works for you.

Drop a drink size.

A really easy trick to drink a little less without feeling like you are missing out is to go for smaller sizes. Try bottled beer instead of pints, or a small glass of wine instead of a large one.

Keep less alcohol in the house.

If your house is always stocked up with alcohol you're more likely to drink it. Try buying less alcohol when you do the shopping and keep it out of sight at home to help avoid temptation.

Eat before you drink.

Eating a meal before you start drinking helps slow down how quickly your body absorbs alcohol. This helps you stay in control and less likely to crave junk later in the night. Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or a low sugar drink.

Fact or fiction

Is red wine really healthy?
Are beer and wine safer to drink than spirits?

Find out the truth here
Health effects
of alcohol

Alcohol can affect your physical and mental health

Find out more here
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